Conscience

901. I should be grateful if you would defineconscience for me.

Conscience is simply a judgment of the intelligence applied tomoral matters. In mathematics the mind concludes that two and twomake four. In music it will judge as to whether the notes harmonizewith one another or not. In moral conduct, it judges that good mustbe done, and evil avoided. And when some particular course ofaction presents itself, it will decide as to whether that course ofaction is in harmony with good principles or not. Whence come theprinciples with which conduct is to be compared? They are part ofour very nature, impressed upon us by the Creator Himself. And inthis sense conscience is the voice of God within us. Every humanbeing is born with an urge to tend to a perfect development. Butthis will be possible only if life be well ordered. Hence, theinnate conviction that the order of nature itself must berespected. As a creature, man has an innate tendency to respect therights of the Creator; as social, he has an innate tendency torespect the rights of his fellow men; as intelligent andself-regulating, he tends to respect his own dignity. Andconscience manifests itself by interior approval or reproachaccording to his observance or violation of these naturalobligations imposed by the God who made man as he is.

902. I know I can always say, "Follow yourconscience. Conscience is the last court of appeal."

You cannot say that. Conscience is not the last court of appealas the guide of conduct, whatever may be its value in relation toone's judgment by God. The last court of appeal, where right orwrong conduct is concerned, is the revealed law of God. Theindividual conscience can be objectively erroneous through lack ofknowledge, or through malice. For example, God says, "Thoushalt not commit adultery." Yet there are people who say thatthey cannot conscientiously see any wrong in adultery. If they aretelling the truth, then their conscience is wrong. They havedistorted their conscience. God's law is the standard of rightand wrong just as the sun is the standard of time. And conscienceis right if it is conformed to God's law, just as a watch isright if it is in harmony with the sun.